


Someone Like You

by Kerkerian



Series: Danny and Matt [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s01e18 Loa Aloha (The Long Goodbye), Fluff, M/M, Missing Scene, mcdanno
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2017-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-15 05:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13023771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerkerian/pseuds/Kerkerian
Summary: After Matt's left, Danny doesn't go to see Rachel; there's only one person he wants to see.





	Someone Like You

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Hawaii Five-0.
> 
> This has probably been done before, but I only recently dove into this fandom and wow, I really wish McDanno was canon! So this happened. Enjoy!

 

It's late when Steve finds Danny on his doorstep, hunched in on himself, eyes wide and red-rimmed, obviously shaken.

“What's wrong,” he asks, though he already has an inkling what Danny is going to tell him, and really, it's about Matt and how Danny couldn't stop him from leaving, couldn't stop him from doing something so stupid, so unnecessarily dangerous, that Steve wonders, briefly, how Matt and Danny are even brothers. It doesn't matter right now, however, because all that matters is Danny, Danny who is trembling and who has come to Steve in the middle of the night looking absolutely devastated. Steve tells him to sit down, but Danny follows him into the kitchen, is nowhere near calm enough to sit on a couch on his own, not even for the minute it takes Steve to grab two beers out of the fridge and open them. Danny stays close to Steve instead, his whole body tense, his face working, his hands wrapping and unwrapping around one another in a silent struggle. It's unusual for Danny not to be ranting non-stop, therefore it's rather disconcerting.

They drink the first beer standing, leaning against the kitchen worktops; after that, they do sit down on the couch, and Steve does his best to convince Danny that there's nothing he could have done.

“You couldn't well have shot him,” he reasons, but Danny shakes his head: “I should have done _some_ thing!” He still doesn't know what that something's supposed to be, but he's convinced that it's not simply standing behind a fence and yelling at someone.

“ _You_ would have done something,” he says, accusingly, “you'd have had some superSEAL-y flash of inspiration and acted on it. That stupid fence wouldn't even have stopped you, whereas I just stood there like a goof.”

“No, buddy,” Steve shakes his head. “It's different when it's siblings. Harder. Just look at me and my sister.”

Danny snorts, but his eyes are moist, and it breaks Steve's heart to see him so defeated, so self-deprecating. “Stop blaming yourself,” he says softly, nudging Danny's shoulder with his own. “He's old enough to know what he's doing.”

“Nah,” Danny murmurs, “he's an idiot. Always has been. Never one to think about consequences. Incidentally, he's very much like you in that regard, with me being his only backup. Only this time, he's on his own.”

Steve raised one eyebrow: “Thank you for the compliment,” he replies. His sarcasm doesn't register with Danny, who's peeling the label off the bottle with his thumb absent-mindedly.

“He has no idea what he's gotten himself into,” he eventually all but whispers, and now Steve can see that his eyes are swimming. Gently, he takes the empty bottle out of Danny's hand and puts it down on the coffee table, then he wraps his arms around his partner. To his surprise, Danny doesn't resist at all as he pulls him close but burrows into Steve instead, seeking solace. And Steve can't help himself, because this is _Danno_ , the one adult person who's gotten under Steve's skin so effortlessly that he still doesn't entirely understand how that went down, exactly. While Steve seems easy-going to most people most of the time, he usually keeps a healthy distance, has done so ever since he was a boy and lost his mother; the people who were around during those first chaotic days back then, neighbours, relatives, acquaintances of his dad, said stupid things like “You're doing great, Sport”, pretending to understand, when all Steve felt was terror and a sensation of having lost the ground underneath his feet. He had learnt then that it was less disappointing if one didn't allow anyone to come too close.

With his team, it's different. They're ohana, they can rely on each other. Have to, really. But Danny has been there first, and as much Steve loves Chin and Kono, Danny takes up the largest part of his heart, has probably done so from the very beginning. There's something about him which Steve can't quite define, but which finds an echo in Steve's own soul. It might have to do with the fact that Danny, after they had gotten over their initial... difficulties, had been very present in Steve's life from day one- well, two- not only at work but also after hours. He seemed to sense that Steve wasn't doing too well dealing with his father's death; considering that he often was lonely himself after only a few months on the island, it probably was a mutual comfort thing. Whatever the reason, he and Steve spent a lot of time together from the start, and in hindsight, it had helped Steve a lot. And now he can't even imagine how life has been before that fateful day in the garage, since his partner's become such a vital part of his being. Someone Steve would like to be the first person he sees when he wakes up in the morning, actually; someone to buy Christmas trees with.

So Steve tentatively strokes Danny's neck, feeling a teensy bit woozy because the other's scent is all around him, his skin warm through the layers of their clothes, his breath hot against Steve's sternum as he struggles to keep it together.

“They'll kill him,” he mutters after a while, his voice unsteady and brittle. “He won't get out of this alive, Steve.”

Steve would like to counter that simply to get it out of Danny's mind, but he knows better than to insult his partner's intelligence. Things like these don't end well, never have, never will: those are the cold, hard facts. So he remains silent, just reinforces his grip around Danny who, magically, appears to relax against him while Steve strokes his hair: “It's not your fault,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss on Danny's temple. “Nothing of this is your fault, Danno.” He feels how Danny tenses up again and quickly continues: “If he is half as stubborn as you are, there is nothing in the world you could have done, even if you _had_ shot him. It'd simply have postponed matters.”

Deep down, Danny knows that Steve is right. Matt's always done as he pleased, much to his parents' grievance. It wasn't that he didn't care about others who were concerned, such as family and friends, but he deemed himself too clever for his own good, practically unassailable. If one asked Danny, he was just naïve. Exhaustedly, he closes his eyes now; he's glad that he's here, with Steve. He didn't even have to think about where to go after Matt left, he went completely on auto-pilot. And now Steve's arms are around him and it feels like he can finally breathe for the first time since this whole sorry sibling-induced mess started, seemingly ages ago. He doesn't know exactly what this is when it's done, but Steve kissed him just now, and Danny actually feels butterflies dancing in his stomach, which is the last thing he expected today. But it feels good, and he wants to stay like this, wants more of this after months of reigning in his feelings; he's had what began as a crush on Steve for a long time now, but he always hid it for fear of destroying their friendship and possibly losing his job over the matter. After all, he had no idea if Steve felt the same, despite their bickering like an old married couple.

Sod it, Danny thinks tiredly, it's now or never, and after all, Steve kissed him. Yes, it was chaste and not even close to the mouth, but he decides that it counts. So he stays like this and doesn't resist when Steve eventually slides down the backrest a little, shifting them around with that amazing ease and strength he has until they are half lying on the couch. Steve's heart is beating a fast rhythm and he feels downright daring as he does so because it means that Danny is more or less draped over him, his head resting on Steve's collarbone, their arms still tightly wound around each other. It's amazing and makes his head spin; Danny's solid weight against his own body feels nothing short of marvellous. And Danny seems to be okay with it, because he fists his hand into Steve's shirt with a sigh and holds on to it, eyes closed, breathing even. Steve gently runs his hand over and through Danny's hair, his cheek against Danny's temple, and just listens to the steady rhythm of the ocean outside and his partner's breathing and their beating hearts; it's perfect, and it's something worth keeping.

At one point, both of them doze off.

 

When Steve wakes up in the early morning, he's momentarily confused until the situation registers with his groggy mind; Danny is still asleep, they are still entangled with each other. It's still marvellous.

It's also a bit chilly now, but Steve doesn't want to get up despite his slightly aching muscles; he snuggles closer into his partner instead, seeking more of his warmth. Inevitably, however, Danny stirs, lifting his head and blinking at Steve in the semi-darkness: “You good?”

At that, Steve feels an inexplicable happiness welling up in him. He smiles at his partner: “Yeah,” he mutters. “You?”

“It's cold,” Danny replies in a low voice. “Got a blanket?”

“In there.” Steve tries not to show his disappointment as Danny gets to his feet, stretching with a groan before padding over to the wooden chest Steve just indicated. Who can't quite believe his eyes _or_ his luck when Danny returns to the couch a moment later and pretty much resumes his former position, if on the other side. He spreads the blanket over the both of them before looking at Steve: “Is this okay?” And Steve can't but smile even broader than before, probably looking like an idiot: “Perfect,” he breathes, wrapping his arms around Danny.

He still isn't sure where this will lead to, but Danny could have just walked away. Instead, he chose to be here, for a second time at that, and Steve can't believe how much affection he's feeling, how much he wants to protect the man in his arms, cherishes him. Still with a goofy smile, he closes his eyes again.

 

They sleep for another few hours; this time, Steve slowly comes to awareness because Danny shifts minutely, restlessly, jostling his partner in the process. Steve, whose limbs have sprawled out during his sleep, one arm hanging from the couch, the other draped across his forehead, quickly wraps himself back around the other man, thinking he might be dreaming.

Danny is awake though: “What am I going to tell my parents?” he asks, voice brittle again, and his pain is as raw and present as it was in the night. Tenderly, Steve runs his hand through Danny's hair, caresses his forehead with his lips: “Tell them the truth.”

“Dad'll have a stroke.”

“He won't. If he's anything like you, he'll put up a fuss and rant for a while, but then he'll face it. He won't back down from it.”

Danny lifts his head to look at Steve, supporting himself with one arm; his eyes are still reddened, and he looks every bit as exhausted as he did when he first arrived. To Steve, he still looks lovely, if entirely too vulnerable. He doesn't like to be reminded of Danny's susceptibilities, because he's always afraid he might lose him. And yet he's being reminded of them every day: every time he looks at Danny's surprisingly slender fingers, every time Danny's talking to Grace on the phone with an absent smile, every time Steve walks into a room full of people with Danny usually being the shortest. With a rush of affection, he lets his fingers wander across Danny's face, trace the lines around his eyes, the shape of his ear.

“You said I was sensitive,” Danny now points out.

Steve grins: “You're also brave,” he then says. “And you can be tough if you have to.”

Danny's gaze wanders across Steve's face: “Not as tough as you. Are you never scared?”

“Yes, I am. But then I tell myself that it's just in my head.”

“Except that you could die.”

“Hm. But that didn't use to be a problem. I never was particularly afraid of dying. I thought that it'd have to end some time anyway.”

“ _Was_?” Of course he'd pick up on that.

“Well, yeah. Now I think differently.”

“Really? Why?”

Steve's gaze locks with Danny's at his next words: “Because I met you. And now I think if I died, I'd miss out on too much.”

For a moment, Danny is silent. Shocked, probably. Then he shakes his head and smiles, that broad smile of his which illuminates the whole room: “You big old goof! Because of _me_? Seriously?” But he actually looks happy, and Steve can't but laugh a little: “Yes, because of you! You're the one person I'm close to, you're whom I trust the most. Whom I care about the most.”

He turns serious again: “You're Danno. I know I'm not supposed to call you so, but I think Gracie's got a point. It's you and only you, to those who love you. And... nothing compares, if you want to know the truth.” He's half aware that his heart is beating faster again, but he has no idea that his emotions are actually showing on his face. Danny's own expression softens at Steve's words, and he shifts a little until he's so close that their noses are nearly touching.

“I love you, too,” he breathes, and then Steve must have closed his eyes or blacked out for a moment, because next thing he knows, Danny's lips are on his own, tentatively at first, a tender, gentle touch. Slowly, they take their time to explore. Steve has only kissed one other man before, a long time ago. It wasn't anything special, but this is.

When they come up for air after an unaccounted amount of time, Steve nuzzles Danny's nose with his own: “I love you more.”

“That sounds so soppy.”

“But it's true.”

“Okay. Heard you. Acceptance is pending.”

Steve can feel the other's grin more than he can see it.

 

They spend the whole Sunday basically doing nothing, but to Steve it's the best day he ever had. They eventually get up and make some coffee and pancakes, which they take outside. It's past Steve's swim time, but he doesn't mind. They go for a stroll along the beach afterwards, and it's Danny who takes Steve's hand in his. He's mostly quiet, lost in his thoughts, and Steve lets him be. He understands that they're on slow burn, but as long as he doesn't suddenly wake up and it's all just been a dream, he's fine with it.

A thunderstorm is brewing, and they sit down in the sand and watch how the clouds accumulate; when the first heavy raindrops fall, they retreat into the house.

“I don't know about you,” Steve says, “but I need to sleep some more.” He's not actually tired, but Danny still doesn't look much better; Steve wants him to turn off his thoughts.

When Danny just nods, Steve pulls him up the stairs and into his bedroom. He gives Danny a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants to change into, since his own clothes are wrinkled and not really suitable for sleeping in. Steve has already crawled under the covers when Danny comes out of the bathroom; as he gets in with his partner, he looks at Steve with a hesitant expression: “You know how I think you're gorgeous, right?” he asks. Steve grins: “I certainly hope so, buddy.”

Danny rolls his eyes, worrying his lip with his tongue: “Well, I do. And I might have been... thinking about you. Naked. About you and me, to be precise.” He looks slightly flushed now.

Steve is enjoying this, but he tries to be supportive, therefore he does his best not to appear like a leering idiot even though Danny is simply adorable right now.

“Well,” he therefore says. “I'm flattered.”

“I just want to say- I'd like to start things slowly. And I don't want you to get a wrong impression. I very much want to be with you. That way.” He blushes some more. “Just... not immediately today.”

Steve feels another surge of affection for Danny: it's so typical of him to consider his partner's feelings, to try and do the right thing by clarifying matters. It's what makes him such a good dad, Steve thinks.

“I understand,” Steve replies, and he does. Later on, Danny won't want all of these firsts to constantly remind him of his brother. Steve can relate to that- after all, he himself can't but think of his dad whenever he is reminded of how Danny and he first met. He smiles at Danny, taking his hand: “Thank you for being honest, Danno,” he replies. “I appreciate it. And as much as I'd like to undress you right here and now, I'm all for taking things slow, I don't want to mess this up.”

Danny is beet-red by now, but he also looks relieved. Whereas Steve usually takes everything head-on, Danny prefers some time to adjust.

Steve now gently pulls Danny close, wrapping his arms firmly around him: “Love you so much...”

Instead of an answer, Danny nuzzles his face into the hollow of Steve's neck. His warm weight against Steve's own body feels amazing, and for the first time since he came back to Hawaii, Steve suddenly feels at home, feels that this is how it should be.

“I don't think Matt's got someone like you in his life,” Danny suddenly says, sounding a bit drowsy; he's not as tense as he was before, but his mind won't let him rest, apparently.

Steve, who's almost nodded off at that point, is wide awake again: “What d'you mean?”

“Someone like you,” Danny repeats, not elaborating on that. “Should've been me, but I moved away. Maybe he's lonely.”

It doesn't take long for Steve to put two and two together.

“I'm sorry, Danno,” he all but whispers, pressing kisses into Danny's hair. “About all that's happened. But I can only repeat that none of this is your fault. None of it, ya hear me?”

“Hmm,” Danny only murmurs. “But you're biased.”

“What? How am I biased?”

“You're besotted with me.”

At that, Steve laughs: “True,” he admits. “I am.”

He kisses Danny's forehead, caresses the back of his neck with his fingertips: “I'll always have your back, you know that, right?"

"Yeah." Danny's voice is barely audible now.

Gently, Steve rests his hand between Danny's shoulder blades: "Sleep, Danno. I've got you.”

 

The End

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'm not a Native Speaker, therefore I apologize for any mistakes.


End file.
